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Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers hailed the revival of Martin Skrtel after his double in the 5-1 demolition of Arsenal.

Last Updated: 10/02/14 8:12pm

Martin Skrtel: Hailed by Brendan Rodgers

The 29-year-old netted the opening two goals in the victory at Anfield and his recent displays have helped establish himself as a regular fixture in the Reds' defence.

Skrtel found himself in and out of the side last season and he was linked with a summer departure after joining the club from Zenit St Petersburg in 2008.

The Slovakia international has featured 25 times in all competitions for Liverpool so far this campaign and Rodgers believes that the he is among the best defenders in the Premier League.

"He looks a class act," Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo. "It's a big credit to him that he's been able to prove me right.

"I brought in a way I wanted to work, on the training field and in games, and for the second half of last season he didn't feature much.

"He had a choice, he could either throw the toys out the pram, or he could sit down with the manager and the coaching staff and see what areas he needed to improve.

"Now, you see a player with great intelligence in his defence, his use of the ball is composed and he has taken on a real leadership role. His performance levels, consistently, have been of a high level.

"He is up there with the top centre halves in this league, and I am delighted for him."